Campus safety, classmates save life of junior student, doctors say

On-campus medical care probably saved the life of a junior student on Thursday morning, according to doctors.

The student collapsed during a 300-level business course for engineering students.

Fellow classmates and campus safety staff administered CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the student, said Shirley Hoogstra, vice president of student life, in an email to students, faculty and staff.

A student in the room had been trained as a camp counselor and left to get the AED. Several students in the room began praying for their classmate.

First responders were able to stabilize the student until he was brought to the hospital.

“What’s so impressive about emergency response, whether it’s the students in the room or campus safety, is that you have a ton of responsibility and very little information. It takes real courage,” said Hoogstra.

“There’s a group of people — they step up into the emergency,” she continued. “It’s so admirable that people are willing to do that.”

The student is alert and asking questions, according to his parents, and he will undergo more testing and treatment in the near future.

“In this situation, the students, the professor, campus safety and the ambulance…every piece of that was integral to the outcome,” said Hoogstra.

“We are grateful to God for his provision and care,” she continued. “Let us all lift him and his family up in prayer during this time, as they continue to learn more about what happened and what is needed.”

This article will continue to be updated as more details are made available.

Published: Thursday, Oct. 11, 5:20 p.m.; Updated: 8:41 p.m.

About the Author

Ryan Struyk was the Chimes editor in chief for fall 2013. He's a senior studying mathematics and political science. Being a journalist means being both student and teacher of the world, and that’s why his job is the best one out there.